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There are some benefits to both homemade and over the counter (OTC) skincare products, so it’s best to use them both. If you want your skin to stay healthy and always look its best, you need to provide it with nutrition and consistent care. Using a mix of these products will help with this. However, you might be able to achieve good results while using only one of the groups as well. That’s why it’s important to understand the pros and cons of each and choose what meets your personal needs best.

Pros and Cons of Using Homemade Beauty Remedies and Cosmetics

Homemade remedies are much more affordable than the majority of high-quality beauty products you can buy in stores. Considering the average monthly spending on beauty care products, the lower cost is a big advantage. You can cut that number by much even if you only replace a few of the products you use regularly with homemade alternatives.

Using self-made beauty treatments created from the contents of your pantry also gives you full control over the ingredients. If you want to learn how to get glowing skin naturally, homemade remedies are the answer. They literally are ‘natural’ as they don’t contain any synthetic chemicals and preservatives like OTC cosmetics do.

As they contain natural ingredients only, homemade beauty remedies are less likely to cause allergies. You can easily exclude elements you are sensitive to and will determine which ingredients work best for you personally. You can use this knowledge to choose more fitting OTC products if you decide to use them.

On the other hand, homemade beauty remedies aren’t always cheap as they work best when you make your masks and pastes from fresh top-quality ingredients. Creating these products takes time and they have a very limited shelf life.

You might not be able to completely replace the products needed for a daily beauty routine by homemade remedies. Creating creams and serums requires specialized tools and ingredients that will definitely make the final product less ‘natural’.

However, one cannot deny that homemade beauty remedies can be very effective. Face masks and scrubs stand out the most due to the amazing results they can create.

Pros and Cons of Using Over the Counter Beauty Products

OTC cosmetic products are very convenient as you can buy them easily and start using right away. There is no lengthy preparation or the need to make a new batch every few days. They are also extremely versatile, in cost as well as formula. This means that everyone can find something within their price range. As these products can be used for months, they can turn out more cost-efficient in the long run.

Note that OTC cosmetics, regardless if they are cheap or professional-grade that costs a small fortune, don’t have medicinal properties. Don’t mix them with pharmaceutical-grade cosmetics that can only be purchased with a prescription.

Both natural homemade remedies and OTC cosmetics work on outer layers of skin only. Therefore, the results they provide are limited.

The downside of OTC cosmetics is that the versatility of formulas allows for some very low-quality and even potentially dangerous products. You should study the ingredients list very carefully when buying beauty care products for yourself.

Due to their convenience, it’s best to use OTC creams and moisturizers. Limit homemade remedies to lotions and toners that have a longer shelf-life and face masks, which are expensive if you buy them in stores.

Published by Vivianne Sterling

Editorial Manager at Beautips. I love street style and I'm always in search of bits of inspiration around me. I also believe in home-made solutions for fitness, beauty tricks and healthy cooking. View more posts